(Rev 17 KJV) And there came one
of the seven angels which had the seven vials,
and talked with me, saying unto me, Come
hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of
the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
{2} With whom the kings of the earth have
committed fornication, and the inhabitants of
the earth have been made drunk with the wine
of her fornication. {3} So he carried me away
in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a
woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full
of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and
ten horns. {4} And the woman was arrayed in
purple and scarlet colour, and decked with
gold and precious stones and pearls, having a
golden cup in her hand full of abominations
and filthiness of her fornication: {5} And
upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY,
BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND
ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. {6} And I saw the
woman drunken with the blood of the saints,
and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus:
and when I saw her, I wondered with great
admiration. {7} And the angel said unto me,
Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee
the mystery of the woman, and of the beast
that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads
and ten horns. {8} The beast that thou sawest
was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the
bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and
they that dwell on the earth shall wonder,
whose names were not written in the book of
life from the foundation of the world, when
they behold the beast that was, and is not,
and yet is. {9} And here is the mind which
hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven
mountains, on which the woman sitteth. {10}
And there are seven kings: five are fallen,
and one is, and the other is not yet come; and
when he cometh, he must continue a short
space. {11} And the beast that was, and is
not, even he is the eighth, and is of the
seven, and goeth into perdition. {12} And the
ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings,
which have received no kingdom as yet; but
receive power as kings one hour with the
beast. {13} These have one mind, and shall
give their power and strength unto the beast.
{14} These shall make war with the Lamb, and
the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord
of lords, and King of kings: and they that are
with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
{15} And he saith unto me, The waters which
thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are
peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and
tongues. {16} And the ten horns which thou
sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the
whore, and shall make her desolate and naked,
and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with
fire. {17} For God hath put in their hearts to
fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their
kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God
shall be fulfilled. {18} And the woman which
thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth
over the kings of the earth. Chapters 17 and
18 of Revelation deal with Mystery Babylon the
Great, the great harlot of the Bible.
Babylon the Great is a system that goes all the
way back to the very first Babylon described in
chapters ten and eleven of Genesis. The
first Babylon inaugurated the original and all
subsequent harlotries described in the
Bible. Harlotry is the primary symbol in
the Bible for a debauched worship, idolatry, and
false devotion. These two chapters depict
the end time culmination of Mystery Babylon the
Great, and it consists of two primary areas of
emphasis. There is first ecclesiastical or
religious Babylon, and this is the false worship
system that began under Semiramus, wife of
Nimrod, who was the political ruler of ancient
Babylon. Nimrod is a type or picture of
Antichrist, and Semiramus was the founder of the
false religious system that has culminated in
the papal worship system today that has its
headquarters in the Vatican in Rome,
Italy. The pope is the leader of religious
Babylon. He is the beast out of the earth
in chapter 13 that has the two horns like a
lamb. The two horns are the two points on
the miter, the liturgical headdress of the pope.
In addition to
religious Babylon, there is a political Babylon
that is depicted as a Great City that reigns
over the kings of the earth. Political
Babylon encompasses both a political system and
a commercial system that has its headquarters in
a Great City that symbolizes wealth, luxurious
living, and commercial enterprise. Thus,
Mystery Babylon is both a religious system and a
Great City, and both are symbolized by a harlot
that rides upon and controls an endtime power
called the Ten-Horned Beast. The
Ten-Horned Beast is the final world power that
wields its influence over the whole earth.
It is depicted as the revived Roman Empire that
was apparently dead, but turns out to be very
much alive. The children's nursery rhyme
of Humpty Dumpty is a depiction of the Roman
Empire that suffered a mortal wound, but will be
miraculously revived under the auspices of its
leader, Antichrist. Amazingly, Antichrist
follows in the same steps as the Roman Empire in
that he has also apparently died of a mortal
head wound, but he will miraculously reappear
with his mortal head wound healed.
Political Babylon is represented as a city, but
it is also a nation that is very powerful in the
world. The Bible goes into minute detail
describing this city (i.e., nation), and the
identification of this city and nation is
unmistakable for those Christians who are open
to the truths of God given in his Word.
Political Babylon is the United States of
America, and Antichrist is a past leader of
Political Babylon. He will return to reign
over Babylon again, but this time Babylon will
be merged with the Ten-Horned Beast.
Antichrist is the one who unites political
Babylon with the Ten-Horned Beast, and he reigns
over the whole world for a very short period of
time. Of necessity, Antichrist will also
be closely associated with religious Babylon,
because Antichrist and the False Prophet will
work together for a period of time during the
tribulation period. The False Prophet is
the one that causes the whole world to worship
the Antichrist. With this brief
introduction and background to the understanding
of Mystery Babylon, we will now begin our
exegesis of Chapter 17 of Revelation. 1. And there came one of the seven
angels which had the seven vials, and talked
with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will
show unto thee the judgment of the great whore
that sitteth upon many waters: a. The
seven angels are described earlier as a figure
of something else, and we have shown earlier how
the seven angels appear to be representative of
the 24 elders in the Church. The figure of
the seven angels is used in this passage of
Scripture because the remainder of this chapter
and chapter 18 involves a great deal of
figurative language. The great whore that
sits upon many waters is not a literal woman of
harlotry, but she symbolizes or represents
something else. She represents the ancient
Babylonian mystery religion that finds its
greatest manifestation in the papal worship
system with its headquarters being at the
Vatican in the city of Rome, which is built on
seven hills. She also represents the Great
City that reigns over the kings of the
earth. That city is New York City (NYC)
where the United Nations has its
headquarters. The waters are peoples,
multitudes, nations and tongues. NYC is
the melting pot of the world representing every
nation in the world with its population,
embassies, and the United Nations Building with
virtually every tongue in the world being
translated in its meetings. Also, NYC is
the commercial capital of the world with the
World Trade Center headquarters located there. b. Not
only were the seven angels figurative, but the
seven vials were also figurative. This is
clearly indicative that the following
information will also be figurative, and the
language used establishes that this is
true. A literal woman cannot sit upon many
waters. Therefore, the woman symbolizes
something else as stated above. As will be
seen throughout this exegesis, the woman
symbolizes both Political Babylon and Religious
Babylon. c. Waters or
seas symbolize the Gentile nations of the world,
and both the papal worship system and the U.S.A
working through the United Nations exercise
authority over the nations of the world already,
and this authority will mushroom when Antichrist
and the False Prophet come into power with Satan
as the source of their power and
authority. All three working together are
the satanic trinity symbolized by the number
666. Therefore, the woman is depicted as
sitting or resting upon many nations of the
world. d. There
will definitely be judgment for both
Babylons. The leaders, the cities and the
systems will be utterly destroyed by the Lord
God Almighty. 2. With whom the kings of the
earth have committed fornication, and the
inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk
with the wine of her fornication. a. The
plans and purposes of both religious and
Political Babylon are to bring the whole world
under her authority and power. The Pope
has been working desperately to bring all
religions under his authority, and the
Antichrist behind the scenes in the U.S.A. has
been working to bring all nations under the
authority and protection of the United States
of America, which is political Babylon the
Great. The eighth empire will be
a combination of the USA--with Antichrist as
supreme leader--and most likely a group
of ten men who will wield power over
the member states of the European
Union, which currently has 27 members. There are
several different political
organizations associated with the
European Union, but these are democratic
organizations, and it is doubtful that the
Ten-Horned Beast will be a democratic
organization. The Ten-Horned Beast will arise
suddenly and under dire world circumstances,
along with the rise of Antichrist as the
Eleventh Horn ruling over the USA (i.e., Babylon
the Great).b. The
kings of the earth have committed fornication
with Religious Babylon and Political Babylon,
and the nations have become intoxicated or
greatly influenced or controlled by both.
The nations have become drunk with the wine of
her fornication. The false teachings of
the papal worship system and the emphasis on
hedonism and materialism in America have
influenced the world to the point where the
world desires the same luxuries. The whole
world has been influenced by the hedonistic
lifestyle of Americans. The false
teachings of the papal worship system have also
spread throughout the world. 3. So he carried me away in the
spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman
sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of
names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten
horns.a. John was
carried away in the spirit into the
wilderness. The wilderness in the Bible is
a picture of a desert place without much
water. Water symbolizes the Holy Spirit or
spiritual sustenance. The world will be a
desolate wilderness during the tribulation
period, and John was given a vision of what the
world will be like during this period of time.
b. The woman is
the harlot representing religious and political
Babylon. She is riding or controlling the
ten-horned beast. The Ten-Horned Beast is
a culmination of the world empires symbolized by
the seven heads. The seven empires were
Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece,
Rome, and New Babylon (U.S.A). The
Ten-Horned Beast is the eighth with Antichrist
as its leader. Antichrist was leader of
the seventh, and he will also be leader of the
eighth. This will be shown later in this
same chapter. c. Scarlet in
the Bible symbolizes both sin and blood.
In this instance, it would symbolize both.
Political Babylon and Ecclesiastical Babylon are
both filled with sin and decadence, and both
will be responsible for shedding the blood of
the saints. Blasphemy is the act of
claiming for oneself the attributes and rights
of God. The beast is extremely decadent
and full of blasphemy. The seven heads are
the seven empires culminating in the eighth, and
the ten horns represent the ten nations that
will make up the European Union in the pinnacle
of its power. 4. And the woman was arrayed in
purple and scarlet colour, and decked with
gold and precious stones and pearls, having a
golden cup in her hand full of abominations
and filthiness of her fornication: a. Purple and
scarlet are the primary colors utilized by the
Vatican in its clothing and decor. Purple
symbolizes luxury or elegance, and red
symbolizes sin. The gold, precious stones
and pearls symbolize the wealth and materialism
found in both Babylons. The Hebrew Word
for blue in the Old Testament is translated as
blue, purple, and violet. Also, there is
no Greek word in the New Testament that is
translated blue, so this word for purple can
just as easily be translated as royal
blue. Blue and red are America's
colors. We will explain this in more
detail in chapter 18 where political Babylon is
arrayed or dressed in red, white and blue.
b. The golden
cup in her hand is attractive and appetizing,
but it is full of abominations and filthiness of
her fornication. The idea from ancient
Babylon was to introduce these abominations and
filthiness a little at a time gradually over
time until the whole cup had been drunk.
If these heresies were introduced all at once,
they would be rejected, but if taken gradually a
little at a time, the cup would be fully
consumed. The same principle applies to
the frog who will jump out of hot water, but he
will remain in water that is gradually heated
until he is cooked to death. The same
analogy applies to leaven or false teachings in
the church. 5. And upon her forehead was a name
written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE
MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE
EARTH. a. A mystery
signifies a hidden system that is gradually
revealed to those who are the initiates.
Nimrod was known as the god of the Chaldean
Mysteries. His name was Saturn.
Saturn and mystery are correlative Chaldean
words that mean hidden. As the religious
system was hidden, so is the god hidden.
Antichrist has been hidden in the world for over
40 years, but he will be revealed or unveiled
when the time for the initiation is to take
place. In the litany of the Mass, the
worshippers are even taught to pray, "God
Hidden, and my Saviour, have mercy upon us."
b. The
mysteries of ancient Babylon are hidden in the
rituals and rites of the Catholic worship, and
the mass is heretical and blasphemous; yet, it
is practiced by millions of Christians who have
no knowledge of the significance of these rites.
6. And I saw the woman drunken with the
blood of the saints, and with the blood of the
martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I
wondered with great admiration. a. The papal
worship system is responsible for the slaughter
of multitudes of Christians during the period of
the Reformation. Foxe's Book of Martyrs is
a documentary of the atrocities of the great
religious harlot in the name of
Christianity. This slaughter of Christians
will be repeated during the first half of the
tribulation period when the satanic trinity will
be operating under the guise of religious
diversity. America will be the heart of
this persecution and martyrdom. America
under the leadership of Antichrist will
slaughter millions of Christians.
Americans do not believe this could be possible,
but neither did Germans believe that Germany
under Hitler would slaughter and burn six
million Jews and Christians. The Catholic
Church was closely associated with Hitler and
Nazism. Hitler was frequently photographed
with high officials of the Vatican adorned in
their vestments of purple and scarlet.
This will be repeated with the Antichrist in
America. It is highly significant that
Antichrist is a Roman Catholic. The Antichrist
is not a Southern Baptist as many think. 7. And the angel said unto me,
Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee
the mystery of the woman, and of the beast
that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads
and ten horns. a. The angel is
about to explain the mystery of the woman, and
the beast that she rides that has the seven
heads and ten horns. The beast is the
revived Roman Empire with Antichrist as its
leader. b. The purpose
here is to reveal that which is symbolized by
the beast and the woman. The remainder of
chapter 17 describes the beast and the Great
Harlot as seen in the papal worship
system. The woman as the Great City is
explained in chapter 18. It is introduced
in verse 18 of this chapter. 8.
The beast that thou sawest was, and is not;
and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit,
and go into perdition: and they that dwell
on the earth shall wonder, whose names were
not written in the book of life from the
foundation of the world, when they behold
the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
a. The beast
represents the revived Roman Empire with
Antichrist as its leader. The word beast
is used interchangeably for the empire and its
leader. The description of the beast
applies to both the empire and its leader, the
Antichrist. 9. And here is the mind which hath
wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains,
on which the woman sitteth. a. The woman,
religious Babylon, sits on seven hills.
Rome is famous for being built on seven
hills. Vatican City remains an independent
enclave within the confines of Rome. 10.
And there are seven kings: five are fallen,
and one is, and the other is not yet come;
and when he cometh, he must continue a short
space.a. The seven
kings are the seven empires of Egypt, Assyria,
Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, and New
Babylon (Political). The first five were
fallen at the time this was written, and Rome
was the one that "is". The one that "is
not yet come" is the New Babylon (U.S.A.).
America is a relatively young nation at slightly
over 200 years old, so America "must continue a
short space." The leader of New Babylon
also "must continue a short space."
Actually, he was leader for a very short time of
approximately 1000 days before he received his
mortal head wound. 11. And the beast that was, and is not,
even he is the eighth, and is of the seven,
and goeth into perdition. a. The Roman
Empire "was", but "is not" currently.
Also, Antichrist "was", but "is not"
currently. The revived Roman Empire "is
the eighth" empire and Antichrist will be the
leader of this eighth empire. Also, the
Roman Empire was number six of the seven
empires, and Antichrist was the leader of number
seven of the empires. Therefore, both the
revived Roman Empire and the Antichrist are "of
the seven". Also, both "goeth into
perdition". Perdition is destruction.
b. The prophecy
in this one verse is absolutely astounding in
its conciseness and accuracy in describing the
ten-horned beast and the leader of the
ten-horned beast. In the Scriptures, the
empire and the leader of the empire are
virtually synonymous. Often, the
Scriptures will be describing an empire as a
beast, and instantly revert to the personal
pronoun "he" in reference to the leader of the
empire. "He" is used in reference to the
beast, which symbolizes the empire and the
leader. 12. And the ten horns which thou sawest
are ten kings, which have received no kingdom
as yet; but receive power as kings one hour
with the beast. a. These ten
horns refer to the leaders of ten nations that
will unify with the Antichrist in forming the
revived Roman Empire. It is no coincidence
that it was the "Treaty of Rome" that
established the European Common Market.
The European Common Market is currently referred
to as the European Union. It currently has
15 primary members, but it will wind up with ten
members after Antichrist comes on the scene as
the new leader of New Babylon. The current
leader of New Babylon is the "Raiser of Taxes",
but he will be destroyed, and the "Vile Person"
(i.e., Antichrist) will take over the leadership
of New Babylon by "smooth flatteries" 13. These have one mind, and shall give
their power and strength unto the beast.
a. These ten
leaders will need a leader for the European
Union, and Antichrist will fill the bill.
Europe is desperately in need of a leader right
now, and it has been demonstrated periodically
since 1945 that Americans make the best leaders
for Europe. Germany is the economic
superpower of Europe, and it would be logical
for the leader of Germany to be the European
leader, but Europe can not bring itself to trust
Germany in a leadership role after the Nazi
experience. The German word for leadership
is führershaft, and the word itself is
problematic for Germans, Europe and the whole
world. The problem of a leader for Europe
will be resolved in the very near future with a
past leader of the U.S.A. being revealed who
will unify the U.S.A. with the European Union,
and he will lead the world into mass
destruction. The fact that Antichrist is
associated with Ireland, a member of the
European Union, is highly significant.
Antichrist always considered himself to be an
elite European, and the Europeans revere him and
consider him to be European. The famous “Ich Bin
Ein Berliner” speech in 1963 a few months before
the “mortal head wound” confirms the association
of Antichrist with Europe. His Irish ancestry
also confirms the European association. b. The European
Union will voluntarily "give their power and
strength unto the beast." Before his
mortal head wound, Antichrist was greatly loved
in Europe, even more so than in the U.S.A. It is
common practice for Europeans to have a picture
of Antichrist hanging in their homes. 14. These shall make war with the Lamb,
and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is
Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they
that are with him are called, and chosen, and
faithful.a. The European
Union will fight against the Lamb along with all
the nations of the world when the Lord Jesus
Christ returns to the earth in power and
glory. Jesus Christ will destroy them by
the Word of His mouth. b. The ones
that return with Jesus to fight against these
kings are the called, chosen and faithful.
The called are all born-again Christians.
The chosen are those who qualify to reign and
rule with Jesus Christ in his coming
kingdom. The faithful are those who
qualify to reign and rule from the second level
in the kingdom. It appears that the
faithful and the 24 elders are the same. c.
Conspicuously absent from these groups of
Christians is the group that is called the
faithful and wise. This is the group of
Christians that qualify as the Bride of
Christ. It appears that the Bride will not
return to the earth with Jesus when Jesus
returns to confront His brethren, the Jews.
15. And he saith unto me, The waters
which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth,
are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and
tongues. a. This verse
confirms the figurative understanding of the
meaning of waters.
The papal worship system has established itself
among peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues
throughout the whole earth. 16. And the ten horns which thou sawest
upon the beast, these shall hate the whore,
and shall make her desolate and naked, and
shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.a. The ten
kings will wind up hating the papal worship
system, and they will wind up destroying it.
17. For God hath put in their hearts to
fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their
kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God
shall be fulfilled. a.
Ecclesiastical Babylon will be destroyed, but
the ten kings will continue with the Antichrist
as their leader until the end. b. God will use
the beast to destroy Ecclesiastical
Babylon. God frequently uses unholy powers
to accomplish his purposes and even to punish
and correct his people. For example, God
will use the Antichrist to chastise the Jews and
cause them to return to God, and even Jesus
Christ as their Messiah at the end of the
tribulation period. 18. And the woman which thou sawest is
that great city, which reigneth over the kings
of the earth. a. This chapter
has provided a detailed description of the
figure and the interpretation of it as
ecclesiastical or religious Babylon, but the
woman also represents the Great City that reigns
over the kings of the earth. This verse
introduces us to the second interpretation of
the figure as political or commercial Babylon,
which is described in detail in chapter 18.
(Rev 18 KJV) And after these
things I saw another angel come down from
heaven, having great power; and the earth was
lightened with his glory. {2} And he cried
mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon
the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become
the habitation of devils, and the hold of
every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean
and hateful bird. {3} For all nations have
drunk of the wine of the wrath of her
fornication, and the kings of the earth have
committed fornication with her, and the
merchants of the earth are waxed rich through
the abundance of her delicacies. {4} And I
heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come
out of her, my people, that ye be not
partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not
of her plagues. {5} For her sins have reached
unto heaven, and God hath remembered her
iniquities. {6} Reward her even as she
rewarded you, and double unto her double
according to her works: in the cup which she
hath filled fill to her double. {7} How much
she hath glorified herself, and lived
deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give
her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a
queen, and am no widow, and shall see no
sorrow. {8} Therefore shall her plagues come
in one day, death, and mourning, and famine;
and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for
strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. {9}
And the kings of the earth, who have committed
fornication and lived deliciously with her,
shall bewail her, and lament for her, when
they shall see the smoke of her burning, {10}
Standing afar off for the fear of her torment,
saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon,
that mighty city! for in one hour is thy
judgment come. {11} And the merchants of the
earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no
man buyeth their merchandise any more: {12}
The merchandise of gold, and silver, and
precious stones, and of pearls, and fine
linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and
all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of
ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious
wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, {13}
And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and
frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine
flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and
horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of
men. {14} And the fruits that thy soul lusted
after are departed from thee, and all things
which were dainty and goodly are departed from
thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.
{15} The merchants of these things, which were
made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the
fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, {16}
And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that
was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and
scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious
stones, and pearls! {17} For in one hour so
great riches is come to nought. And every
shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and
sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood
afar off, {18} And cried when they saw the
smoke of her burning, saying, What city is
like unto this great city! {19} And they cast
dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and
wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city,
wherein were made rich all that had ships in
the sea by reason of her costliness! for in
one hour is she made desolate. {20} Rejoice
over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles
and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
{21} And a mighty angel took up a stone like a
great millstone, and cast it into the sea,
saying, Thus with violence shall that great
city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be
found no more at all. {22} And the voice of
harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and
trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in
thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he
be, shall be found any more in thee; and the
sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at
all in thee; {23} And the light of a candle
shall shine no more at all in thee; and the
voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall
be heard no more at all in thee: for thy
merchants were the great men of the earth; for
by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
{24} And in her was found the blood of
prophets, and of saints, and of all that were
slain upon the earth. Chapter 18 of
the book of Revelation gives a detailed
description of New Babylon, that city (i.e.,
nation) that reigns over the kings of the
earth. There are numerous Scriptures in
the Bible that refer to and describe this last
great nation that is so blessed and mightily
used by God until it turns its back on God,
becomes corrupted and leads the world
astray. God's people are located in this
nation in abundance, but the nation becomes so
evil that God finally destroys it.
Antichrist was once leader of this great
end-time nation until he received his mortal
head wound. He will again take over the
reigns of power just before he unites this
nation with the Ten-Horned Beast.
Antichrist as the absolute dictator of political
Babylon is the eleventh and little horn (Dan.
7:8) of Daniel that comes up among the other
horns. A little horn in Scripture
symbolizes a powerful nation and the leader of
that nation, but the power of the leader and the
nation has been broken. The “little horn” is
little because its power has been broken. The
power and authority of Antichrist was broke when
he suffered his mortal head wound. The power and
authority of the USA will be broken or shattered
just before it is time for Antichrist to be
resurrected and take over the reigns of the
government once again as the “once and future
king”. Jeremiah 50:12 confirms that New
Babylon will be a mighty nation that arises in
the last days of this age. Jeremiah 50 and
51 provide a comprehensive description of New
Babylon, so that anyone seeking to identify New
Babylon out of a pure heart will have no trouble
in doing so. New Babylon is a nation whose
mother is in existence at the time that New
Babylon is totally destroyed by "arrows" (i.e.,
missiles) that come out of the north. It
is the wealthiest and most powerful nation in
the world, and it is the headquarters of
Antichrist at the time that he is leader of the
Ten-Horned Beast. Babylon is also a land
of mixed or mingled people. It is the
"hammer of the earth" so it uses its power and
influence to shape and mold the rest of the
earth. The USA got its name as “hammer of the
earth” because of the numerous bombs dropped on
rebellious nations in various parts of the
world. The U.S. led NATO bombing of
Bosnia-Herzegovina was described in the
headlines as “hammering the earth”. Thus, the
U.S.A. is the “hammer of the earth” in
accordance with headline news. Chapter 18 of
Isaiah also provides an unmistakable description
of New Babylon, but this chapter is much more
difficult to understand. This chapter
describes New Babylon as the nation that invents
the airplane, and as a very strong or mighty
nation even from its inception. Isaiah
also describes Babylon as a nation where all of
its land has been strictly measured and marked
off for ownership. It is also a nation
that utilizes its rivers and waterways as the
boundaries for marking off the land. Please see
my exegetical discourse on Isaiah 18 for a more
detailed explanation of this very accurate
description of the U.S.A. as the “Land of
Whirring Wings”. It should be
clear from this brief description that New
Babylon is the United States of America.
Great Britain is our mother, and she will be in
existence when America is totally destroyed by
nuclear missiles that come over the North Pole
from Russia and China. America is a young
nation, and it has become the wealthiest and
mightiest nation on the face of the earth.
God has mightily used America, but it has turned
its back on God, and will be judged for
it. America invented the airplane, and it
is a land that has every square mile measured
off and marked out. Its state and county
lines are frequently the waterways that cross
and crisscross the land. We will now
seek to understand chapter 18 of Revelation
verse-by-verse as it reiterates and adds to some
of the above detailed descriptions of New
Babylon. 1. And after these things I saw another
angel come down from heaven, having great
power; and the earth was lightened with his
glory. a. This angel
is quite different from the angel in Rev.
17:1. This angel does not speak from
heaven, but he comes down from heaven. He
has great power or authority, and the earth is
lightened with his glory. This angel is
clearly Jesus Christ Himself. Such
language is nowhere used in Scripture concerning
created angels or angels in the figurative
sense. b. The coming
down to earth in His Glory clearly places this
event at the end of the tribulation
period. The separation has already
occurred at the beginning of the tribulation
period where the Bride and her court are taken
directly to heaven. The rapture of the
Church (those remaining) has already occurred in
the middle of the tribulation period where Jesus
Christ comes in the air to take away the
Church. We now have his coming in power
and glory to the earth with his glory lighting
up the earth. This lighting up of the
earth with His glory does not take place at the
separation or at the rapture. 2. And he cried mightily with a strong
voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is
fallen, and is become the habitation of
devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and
a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
a. Jesus Christ
calls out with a mighty voice that brings
destruction to the Great City Babylon. The
proclamation about Babylon is not simply the
word of information about what has happened to
Babylon or what is going to happen, but the Word
of the Lord that effects its total and complete
fall. b. The
repetition of the word fallen is not a stutter,
and it is not repeated solely for the purpose of
emphasis. It is repeated because there are
two falls of Babylon that are effected by the
Lord Jesus Christ. The first is religious
Babylon, and the second is political
Babylon. The first is described in Rev.
17:16-17, and the second is described in Rev.
18:8-10. The first takes place around the
middle of the tribulation period, and the second
takes place at the end of the tribulation
period. There are two distinct falls, so
the word fallen is stated twice. c. The Lord
Jesus Christ also effects the statement that
Babylon is the habitation of devils, the hold of
every foul spirit, and the cage of every unclean
and hateful bird. Babylon has been turned
over to Satan and his emissaries according to
the Word of the Lord. 3. For all nations have drunk of the
wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the
kings of the earth have committed fornication
with her, and the merchants of the earth are
waxed rich through the abundance of her
delicacies. a. The
Lord explains why He has turned Babylon the
Great over to the emissaries of Satan. It
is because of her utter wickedness, which has
affected the entire world. The kings or
leaders of the earth have committed fornication
with her. This means spiritual adultery or
idolatry. Idolatry is the placing of
anything ahead of God in importance.
America has worshipped the god of materialism
since the turn of the century, and it has now
affected all of the nations. The nations
of the world seek after what America now has,
but it will result in the destruction of America
in judgment, and judgment upon the world. b.
Unfortunately, Christians have been caught up in
this covetousness, which is the same as
idolatry. Christians are now worshipping
cars, clothes, houses, jewelry, food,
television, technology, and all forms of
luxurious living. 4. And I heard another voice from
heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people,
that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that
ye receive not of her plagues. a. The children
of Abraham will be among the population of
Babylon the Great. This is logical for
wherever we find great trade and banking, we may
expect to find Jews, and these are the people
being addressed in this verse. b. America has
more Jews than any other nation—even Israel—and
the Lord God commands them to come out of her so
they will not partake in her sins and receive of
her plagues. c. The command
for the Jews to flee out of Babylon is confirmed
in the following verse: (Jer. 51:6 KJV) Flee out of the
midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his
soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this
is the time of the LORD'S vengeance; he will
render unto her a recompense.
5. For her sins have reached unto
heaven, and God hath remembered her
iniquities.a. The sins of
Babylon have reached up to heaven. The
Greek word for reached is kollao and it means
they are glued or welded together as bricks are
piled on top of each other to form a
building. The allusion is definitely to
the tower of Babel, which initiated the
wickedness of ancient Babylon. b. Though God
permits the increment of sin, its final judgment
is certain. It may appear that people are
getting away with sin, but God's judgment is
sure. 6.
Reward her even as she rewarded you, and
double unto her double according to her
works: in the cup which she hath filled fill
to her double.a. The sins of
Babylon will be recompensed two-fold over what
she has done. It is difficult for us to
imagine the destruction and devastation that
will take place in America, but it is
certain. God has spoken it, and it will
occur. b. America is
friendly toward the Jews now, but this will
change greatly during the last half of the
tribulation period. America will also be
the focus of the persecution of the Church
during the first half of the tribulation
period. This focus will shift from the
Church to the Jews when the Main Harvest Rapture
takes place. 7. How much she hath glorified herself,
and lived deliciously, so much torment and
sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I
sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no
sorrow. a. Babylon is a
nation that has greatly glorified herself, and
she has lived deliciously or luxuriously.
She has great wealth and she has lived
sumptuously. We in America live
sumptuously, yet we want more. This is
pure covetousness, which is called idolatry in
the Bible. b. "Hath
glorified herself" refers to attitude and not to
attainment. The similarity to ancient
Babylon is "Let us make us a name" (Genesis
11:4). c. Unlike
Hiroshima, Berlin, London, North Vietnam and
other war-devastated places, America has never
felt the sting of bombs upon her soil. "I
sit a queen, and am no widow" is a metaphorical
expression for a city that has not been stripped
of its inhabitants and its riches. "Shall
see no sorrow" means Babylon cannot envision
herself being stripped of her inhabitants and
her wealth. The inhabitants of Babylon
will not be able to foresee the coming
destruction that is certain to engulf her.
8.
Therefore shall her plagues come in one day,
death, and mourning, and famine; and she
shall be utterly burned with fire: for
strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.a. The
destruction of Babylon will take place in one
day and even in one hour as verse 10
attests. The plagues that befall her will
cause death, mourning and famine. She will
be utterly burned with fire, and it is the Lord
God Who judges her. b. The plagues
that destroy her are clearly from a surprise
nuclear attack from Russia, China and other
far-eastern countries that will have nuclear
submarines at the time. We learn this from
a study of Jeremiah 50 and 51, and specifically
the following verse of Scripture: (Jer. 50:9 KJV) For, lo, I will
raise and cause to come up against Babylon an
assembly of great nations from the north
country: and they shall set themselves in
array against her; from thence she shall be
taken: their arrows shall be as of a mighty
expert man; none shall return in vain. The arrows with
none missing its mark is a prophetic description
of nuclear missiles coming over the North Pole
from Russia, China, and from submarine launched
nuclear missiles from countries that have lined
themselves up in an array around the U.S.A. The
fact that China has stolen our nuclear secrets
for smaller, compact nuclear weapons and
guidance systems for submarine launched missiles
is highly significant. The destruction of the
U.S.A. by nuclear weapons is at the end of the
seven-year tribulation period, so China has
plenty of time to perfect her submarine launched
nuclear weapons. 9. And the kings of the earth, who have
committed fornication and lived deliciously
with her, shall bewail her, and lament for
her, when they shall see the smoke of her
burning,a. The kings of
the earth who committed fornication with her are
those that will share in her power and great
wealth before she is destroyed. This
includes the European countries that will make
up the Ten-Horned Beast and possibly other
countries that will prosper during the reign of
Antichrist. b. These
countries that lived luxuriously with Babylon
will express their deep sorrow and mourn over
Babylon when they see the smoke of her burning.
The reason for this great mourning over the loss
of such great wealth is that the nations of the
world have heavily invested in America by buying
up real estate and companies. It is truly
sobering to realize how much of America is owned
by foreign interests. This great wealth will be
lost in one hour and the foreign owners will
bewail and lament over their great loss. 10. Standing afar off for the fear of
her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great
city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one
hour is thy judgment come.a. These
countries will be afraid to come close to
Babylon for "fear of her torment." This
torment will be the nuclear radiation that will
come from the numerous nuclear warheads that
caused Babylon to be burned. b. This verse
confirms that a literal day and hour is meant
for the time it takes for Babylon to be totally
destroyed. Nuclear scientists have
estimated that if the U.S.A. is ever involved in
a nuclear war with Russia, the war will be over
in one hour. This conclusion was reached
independently of a knowledge and understanding
of this verse. The same conclusion would apply
to nuclear war with any nuclear power. The
number of nations becoming nuclear powers is
growing rapidly, and the Bible is clear that
more than one nation is responsible for the
destruction of New Babylon. 11. And the merchants of the earth
shall weep and mourn over her; for no man
buyeth their merchandise any more: a. The
merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her
because she was their best customer.
Babylon bought the merchandise from the
merchants of the earth, and this falls in line
with her luxurious lifestyle. This is a
perfect description of America whose trade
deficits are extremely large and growing. b. It is
significant that America represents about 7 per
cent of the world's population, yet she has in
her possession more than half of the world's
wealth. She has 63 percent of the world's
manufactured goods, 74 per cent of the world's
automobiles, 52 per cent of the world's trucks,
56 per cent of the world's telephones, 47 per
cent of the world's radios, 46 per cent of the
world's electric output, 52 per cent of the
world's steel, 53 per cent of the world's
petroleum, and consumes 35 per cent of the
world's energy. c. We in
America have lived luxuriously and glorified
ourselves. We have forgotten that our
blessings come from God, and we have forgotten
about God as the source of everything. We
are ungrateful, selfish, uncaring, egotistical,
lazy, arrogant, prideful, and just plain
nauseating to God. This is why the Church
as a whole will be rejected as the bride of
Jesus Christ at the separation, which is to take
place very soon. d. Over 50 per
cent of Americans profess Jesus Christ as their
Savior. This is higher than any other
country in the world. Is it any wonder
that only a small number of Christians will be
accounted as worthy to escape the coming
tribulation period, which is called the hour of
trial? 12. The merchandise of gold, and
silver, and precious stones, and of pearls,
and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and
scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner
vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of
most precious wood, and of brass, and iron,
and marble, a. These are
all luxurious items that American merchandisers
import for our jewelry stores, clothing stores,
and specialty and import stores. No
country in the world matches the stores and
malls that carry everything imaginable that is
produced in the world. Stores in our
larger cities have whole floors devoted to
special categories of goods, and many or most
are imported. All of these items mentioned
are luxurious items that are only purchased by
people who are wealthy relative to the world's
standards. None of these items fall in the
category of being needed for survival. 13. And cinnamon, and odours, and
ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and
oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts,
and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and
slaves, and souls of men. a. Cinnamon is
an import of America, and odours are a fragrant
powder burned in religious worship.
Ointments are simply perfumes, and America
imports more perfumes than any other nation in
the world. Frankincense is incense that is
burned for its fragrant aroma. The
implication is incense burned in pagan
worship. America has become a center for
all the pagan worship systems of the world such
as Hinduism, Hare Krishna, Buddhism, etc. b. America buys
more imported wine than any other nation.
The oil is olive oil and all of our olive oil is
imported. We also import more of this than
any other nation. Fine flour means that
flour that is the finest. America grows
more wheat than any other nation, yet we import
fine flour. Another understanding of this
verse is that America exports more wheat than
any other nation so the ship owners of the earth
have also gotten wealthy from carrying our
cargoes of wheat. Either understanding
points to America as the referent. c. Beasts means
cattle or large four-footed domestic
cattle. Sheep refers to small four-footed
domesticated animals such as sheep and
goats. The primary meaning of beasts is
possessions, and it is the figurative
meaning. The figurative meaning of sheep
is God's people. America imports large
amounts of beef and mutton, which is the literal
interpretation of this verse, but Americans have
more possessions, and many of God's people are
domiciled in America. d. Horses and
chariots during the first century A.D. would be
the modern day equivalent of automobiles.
Interestingly, the Greek word for chariots does
not mean a two-wheeled chariot as we normally
think of, but a four-wheeled carriage. It
is ironic that the automobile was invented in
America, and America was the only exporter of
automobiles for many years. Today, America is
the world's largest importer of
automobiles. Most of the automobiles built
in the world are built for Americans. Most
are Japanese, but the Japanese utilize mass
transit, bicycles and motorcycles, which are
two-wheeled "chariots". 14. And the fruits that thy soul lusted
after are departed from thee, and all things
which were dainty and goodly are departed from
thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.a. The word for
“fruits” means the vintage of late summer or
autumn, and the word for “lusted” means
forbidden things. It means material
possessions that were sought after over and
above that which was needed. It is a
picture of covetousness of things that have now
departed from the people seeking after them.
b. “Things
which are dainty” are things that are sumptuous
or expensive. Things that are "goodly" are
things that appeal to the lust of the
eyes. All refer to the excessive luxury
that so enamors Americans. We are not
satisfied with our needs being met, and a decent
place to live, and simple clothes to cover our
nakedness. We seek after the best and most
expensive foods, the best and most expensive
homes, the best and most expensive cars, the
best and most expensive furniture, the best and
most expensive clothes, the best and most
expensive jewelry, et cetera, et cetera, et
cetera. c. The second
departed in this verse is different from the
first. The first means they have gone
away, and the second means that they have been
destroyed. America shall not find them
anymore because America shall be no more. 15. The merchants of these things,
which were made rich by her, shall stand afar
off for the fear of her torment, weeping and
wailing, a. The
merchants of the earth who got rich because of
America's unbridled lust for possessions shall
weep and wail over her destruction. b. These
merchants will not come close to America because
of her torment. This torment is clearly
the nuclear radiation that will engulf America
after the all-out nuclear attack on America by
other nations that hate and resent her. 16.
And saying, Alas, alas, that great city,
that was clothed in fine linen, and purple,
and scarlet, and decked with gold, and
precious stones, and pearls! a. The
Greek word for clothed has reference to being
draped around as clothing or thrown around
everywhere. When speaking of a nation it
would refer to its flag, and the colors of red,
white and blue are clearly linked to
America. The linen is white, and the
scarlet is red. The word for purple has
the same meaning as the Old Testament word for
blue. No Greek word in the New Testament
is translated blue, but this word means
blue. b. The Greek
word for clothed also has a secondary and
figurative meaning of palisade or defense.
This simply means that the red, white and blue
American flag is not just used for decorative
purposes. It is also used as a symbol of
her defensive capabilities. The American
National Anthem clearly depicts the American
flag as a symbol of our defensive
capabilities. The Star Spangled Banner
reflects the attitude described above in verse 7
of being invincible. This same attitude
was rampant in the ancient city of Babylon the
night that Daniel interpreted the handwriting on
the wall for Belshazzer. It was that same
night that the Medes and Persians came in
through the river gates after diverting the flow
of the Euphrates River, and Babylon fell to
Cyrus the Great. America will also fall in
a single day. c. The Statue
of Liberty also reflects this attitude of
freedom and invincible liberty. The one
arm raised on the Statue of Liberty reflects the
exaltation of man rather than God. Two
arms raised reflects the exaltation of
God. One arm raised with a clinched fist
is the universal symbol of defiance and
rebellion. It is also significant that the
crown of the Statue of Liberty is the very same
one that is seen on the relief of Ishtar, the
Babylonian Mystery Goddess of love and
fertility. d. The Greek
word for decked means a woman who is so
profusely ornamented with gold that she appears
to be gilded. The same is true for the
precious stones and the pearls.
Figuratively, to be decked with gold is to have
a superabundance of blessings from God.
The precious stones have a special reference to
the twelve tribes of Israel because of the 12
precious stones on the breastplate of the High
Priest in the Old Testament, so this
figuratively means that America has a
superabundance of Jews from all 12 tribes of
Israel. This is clearly indicative that in
addition to the Jews who came out of the
Southern kingdom of Judah, there are also Jews
from the 10 lost tribes of Israel. It is
my belief that the American Indians are out of
the ten lost tribes of Israel. e. We learned
from the parables of the kingdom that pearls are
used figuratively for the Church. This
means that the Church is also present in
superabundance in America or Babylon the
Great. This is such a well-known fact that
no statistics or documentation is required to
substantiate the conclusion. f. Briefly
summarized, this verse states that the Great
City Babylon is symbolically represented by the
colors red, white and blue and these colors
typify her strong defenses that appear to be
invincible. In addition, she has been
greatly blessed by God, and God's people,
including all twelve tribes of the Jews, and all
seven churches of the Church, dwell in Babylon
in large numbers. It does not take a
superabundance of imagination to see that this
is an accurate description of America. 17. For in one hour so great riches is
come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all
the company in ships, and sailors, and as many
as trade by sea, stood afar off, a. America will
be totally destroyed in one hour on a particular
day. This is literal and there is no
reason to take this to be figurative. b. The maritime
merchants of the earth will also greatly mourn
the destruction of America, for they have gotten
rich from her excessive luxuries. It is
ironic that even with all the riches and
commercial enterprise in America, we do not have
a large maritime fleet. Most of the ships
that carry the goods to and from America are
owned by foreigners. c. The Greek
word for come to nought means to lay waste or
become desolate. The shipmasters, people
who work on the ships, and the ones who actually
operate and steer the ships stood a long way off
and express astonishment at the destruction of
this great nation that has been laid waste and
desolate. 18. And cried when they saw the smoke
of her burning, saying, What city is like unto
this great city! a. The
individuals stated above will be able to see the
total destruction of America, and they will
express their dismay that such wealth has been
destroyed. 19. And they cast dust on their heads,
and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas,
alas, that great city, wherein were made rich
all that had ships in the sea by reason of her
costliness! for in one hour is she made
desolate.a. These same
individuals will cast dust upon their heads, a
sign of mourning, and reiterate the fact that
this great nation had made the ship owners rich
because of her excessive luxury, but she was
totally destroyed in one hour. Again, the
hour is clearly literal, and there is no hint
that a figurative interpretation should be made.
20. Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and
ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath
avenged you on her. a. This verse
confirms that America will be the focal point
for persecution of both the Church and the Jews
during the tribulation period. Heaven
would refer to those who occupied heaven during
the time of persecution. The word apostles
is a special reference to the Church or those
who are persecuted during the first half of the
tribulation in Babylon. The word prophets
is a special reference to the Jews who are
persecuted during the last half of the
tribulation period. The reference to
heaven first, and then to the apostles and
prophets seems to have the purpose of clarifying
that the apostles and prophets were not
occupiers of heaven at the time of the
persecution. In other words heaven is
addressed not so much to distinguish those in
heaven, as to distinguish that the apostles and
prophets were not in heaven at the time of the
persecution. The revenge is exacted for
the apostles (i.e., Christians) and prophets
(i.e., Jews) who were persecuted during the
seven-year tribulation period. 21. And a mighty angel took up a stone
like a great millstone, and cast it into the
sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that
great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall
be found no more at all. a. Babylon the
Great (America) will be totally destroyed.
God will judge her for her sins. This may
be difficult for Christians to accept, but this
is because most Christians love the world, and
America is the prime example for the world
system of covetousness and greed. The
citizenship of Christians is in heaven, and our
loyalty should lie in heaven. This does
not mean that we rebel against the U.S.
Government. We are ambassadors here, and
we are to conduct ourselves in obedience to the
law and the rulers as long as it does not
conflict with our obedience to God. We are
not to become involved in the political system
or strive for rulership in the system.
Christians who do this are getting caught up in
this world system just like Lot got caught up in
the affairs of Sodom. b. The use of
"a great millstone" is a perfect analogy for the
throwing down of America, since America is the
breadbasket for the world. We grow and
export more wheat than any other nation in the
world. c. The Greek
word for violence comes from another Greek word
that means an attack. Babylon will be
destroyed by an attack out of the North and from
submarines in array around her, as explained
earlier. d. Babylon will
not be found again after she is destroyed.
America will cease to exist as a nation. 22. And the voice of harpers, and
musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters,
shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no
craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be
found any more in thee; and the sound of a
millstone shall be heard no more at all in
thee;a. The full
range of human emotions is given expression in
the form of music. It represents all of
the aspects of life such as joy, sorrow,
worship, jubilation, toil, and even
warfare. It is no coincidence that music
is a primary aspect of life in America, and not
all of it is good. Music is at the center
of American pop culture, and it a primary source
of influence for young people and adults.
American music now contains satanic songs of
worship, rebellion, sex, and all forms of
debauchery. This music is now exported to
countries all over the world, and it is part of
"the Americanization of the world."
Babylon is described as influencing the whole
world, and this is definitely true for
America. Pipers are flautists. The
cessation of all music demonstrates the
cessation of a culture and all aspects of life
associated with that culture. b. The demise
of all craft is another expression for the death
of a culture. Work or craft is the
expression of livelihood, and without it all
life ceases. c. A millstone
is the symbol for the source of food or
sustenance. Without food, life also
ceases. Also, the use of a millstone in
describing the cessation of life and culture is
very appropriate in the description of America,
as explained above. 23. And the light of a candle shall
shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of
the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard
no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were
the great men of the earth; for by thy
sorceries were all nations deceived.a. A candle is
the source of light for a home, so it is a
picture of home life, another primary aspect of
a culture. It also symbolizes the
knowledge and wisdom that emanates from a
people. This verse is a continuation of
the description of the cessation of a culture. b. The
bridegroom and the bride are the picture of
procreation and proliferation of life, another
primary aspect of any culture or people. c. Babylon's
merchants are described as the great men of the
earth. In context with the light of a
candle and the bridegroom and bride, America's
culture has been spread throughout the
world. The use of the word sorceries in
deceiving all nations has reference to America's
idolatries, or the covetous and hedonistic
lifestyles that American pop culture has spread
throughout the world. 24. And in her was found the blood of
prophets, and of saints, and of all that were
slain upon the earth. a.
Ecclesiastical Babylon has already been
responsible for the deaths of both Jews
(prophets) and Christians (saints). The
Great City Babylon (America) will be the focal
point of persecution and martyrdom for
Christians during the first half of the
tribulation period, and Jews during the last
half of the tribulation period. The
reference to "all that were slain upon the
earth" has to be used in the collective sense,
so it means all types of people in the
world. Therefore, it would have reference
to the Gentiles who are saved during the
tribulation period, and subsequently martyred
for not taking the mark of the beast. This
verse is referring to the persecution and
martyrdom of all three classes of God's people
during the seven-year tribulation period.
These are the Jews, the Church, and the
Gentiles.